Chapters 6-8 (as well as the previous 3 questions) discuss different contexts for language teaching and learning. Based on what you know about different teaching contexts, what do you think would be your ideal teaching situation? What age and level would you most prefer to teach? What other contexts would play into your dream job? Think carefully about WHY these are your preferences? How would those contexts best play to your own personal strengths as a teacher and individual? Would you go with what you are familiar with, or with something totally new in order to challenge yourself? Discuss as many details as you are comfortable with.
Note: As you know, you will be doing a final project in this course in which you prepare a syllabus for a particular class. You will have the opportunity to choose the relevant contexts for your course, and I'll want you to be prepared on Monday to make a firm decision about which specific age/proficiency level you'd choose to work with. This question should help you prepare for this in advance and really think about why you would want to work with that particular age level, proficiency level, or other relevant context. Even if you choose not to answer this question here on the blog, I suggest that you be thinking about it before you come to class on Monday!
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Inasmuch as pursuing the TESOl certificate represents a step in a career change for me, I have thought often about the “ideal teaching” situation.
ReplyDeleteMy primary goal is to teach Business English to adults. These adults would be post-high school and either in business positions already or preparing for a U. S. job. Ideally, these adults would be accomplished professionals in their own countries and would be looking for a U. S. business professional to teach English and the socio-economic context of working in a senior management position in the U. S. In particular, one of the student’s goals would be to produce executive level communications and Board-level presentations.
Other contexts include that I perform this job in another country (TEFL). Ideally, this would be a country that I have some knowledge of linguistically and culturally.
My personal strengths for this include my 20+ years as an executive in large, name-recognizable international corporations. My areas of expertise are finance, accounting and marketing and these are the three most common areas of need for newly arriving executives. My experience working with Boards of Directors, and with the press, enable me to teach skills for senior executive levels.
A secondary goal of mine is work with pilots who are learning to handle the communication functions in a cockpit. I have many, many “right seat” hours in which I handled navigation and communications tasks. I have passed the relevant written FAA exams (“ground school). Pilots tend to be very disciplined individuals and I believe that NNS pilots would take this task very seriously and be very motivated.
Obviously, I am sticking with the familiar. Teaching itself is a sufficient challenge for me without changing to new subject matter.
My ideal teaching situation would be teaching adults who are at the beginner level. While this sounds quite challenging to me, as I have not taught any classes before, I feel that it would be not only rewarding for me but also for those who are wanting to learn English. It will allow them to further themselves in many ways. I would think that beginners are intrinsically motivated to learn English in order to help them with the ability to survive in an English-speaking country.
ReplyDeleteAfter teaching English as a second language in the United States for a number of years, I would like to teach English in a Spanish-speaking country in order to further enrich my Spanish skills and knowledge of another country's culture. I see this as my ultimate ideal teaching situation.
I have worked in customer service, adminstrative assistant and computer support jobs in the last 20 years. I am very patient and considerate of others and have learned to listen to people who are non-native English speakers. I get tired of people who discount non-native English speakers and say that they just cannot understand what they are saying. I always tell them to listen and they will understand. I have had many experiences where an individual asked me for assistance or information but they may not have "perfect" English. Many times they are L1 Spanish speakers. I tend to surprise them when I reply in Spanish.
I originally wanted to teach when I was pursuing my Spanish degree, but did not do the teacher education courses. I feel at this point in my life I am ready for the challenge of teaching.
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ReplyDeleteMy ideal teaching situation would be teaching intermediate level English to college students. The reason I want to teach at the college level is that I believe that students at colleges have a higher motivation to learn the target language. For starters they made the conscious decision to enroll in an English language class. Even if they are only doing it because of a major's requirement to learn a foreign language, they chose English and not French which shows they placed higher value on the language you are teaching. For many to learn English in college has high extrinsic value because it will help them obtain a good job or help an adult obtain a promotion. It also holds intrinsic value for the student as well because they would be able then to travel and communicate successfully in an English country. The reason why I would like to teach intermediate level is that these students already have their feet wet. I feel this would be a good level for a more communication based class. Beginner level students might of had little to no experience with speaking English before entering college, even if they had 6 years of English in grade school like in Japan.
ReplyDeleteThis would help play on my strength of teaching with groups. I used to be a swim / lifeguard instructor and always enjoyed the group activity aspects of both.
Another aspect of my ideal teaching situation. I would much desire to teach in an EFL context in Japan. Why? I intrinsically desire to learn Japanese as my third language and my second fluent language. Being an ESL myself in such a context would give me better perspective on how a language learner learns which I could apply to my own teaching style. Also this would give me more understanding and patience with students trying to communicate because I'm sure I will have much difficulty speaking Japanese.
I would like two teach adults that are in a beginning stage because they are more driven to learn. Also, some of these students are learning ether because of necessity or they want to improve themselves. In addition teaching adults can be an ideal situation to me because some of theme are not only going to learn to communicate but they are going to set an example that it’s never to late to learn. One important context that will come to play in my dream job is if I was abole to teach English in another country were I can learn not only about other cultures but I can teach them my own mix cultures but specially the American culture. I had a hard time learning English when I was a children because my parent were not abole to help me in my homework because they were not familiar with the language. In this situation I had to teach my parents the language rather than the parent helping the children. It was a hard part letting the children play the paper of an adult. Teaching adults would give a grate sense of accomplishment because I know they are not only helping themselves but the people that surround them. I know teaching an adult class would be one of the most challenging expires I could have, because of my lack of expires in teaching. But with my willingness and there tears of learning a language I think it would be an interesting experience and a personal achievement that I am willing to accomplish.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Mastropieri
ReplyDeleteI have been and would like to continue teaching children. My wife and I have been teaching Taiwanese beginning level English.
I like kids. I have three of my own. I have made my classes entertaining. It was usually a cute English Language Showtime. We all remember Mr. Rogers. How about a Mr. Mastropieri?
At this early age they could see that language learning is fun. I have taught university students who were in a childrens class I taught.
It was a great feeling!
I want to return to Taiwan. My students really
knew how to study. Their society appreciates
a dedicated teacher. The children are perceptive.
They knew if the teacher himself is enjoying the class. The adults have become bored with language learning. Perhaps they themselves had teachers who did not like their craft.
In my ideal situation, age would really not factor in to my decision. Both the pros and cons of teaching different ages balance out for me. Although I have volunteered in an English class for elementary aged children and loved it. But teaching adults (or teenagers) also interests me.
ReplyDeleteThe main stipulation I have for my ideal situation is that it be in a country that I have never been before. This would give me an opportunity to not only teach but also better or learn another language. The challenge of going to new places has always driven me this is why I decided to enter into this field.
My ideal teaching situation would be college level ESL class of intermediate and high intermediate levels where I will teach Reading/ Writing and vocabulary development class or Speaking/Listening class.
ReplyDeleteI have taught such courses before, and I did not feel like it was as successful as I wish it were for several reasons. First of all, the students really did not care about the subject and the curriculum was developed the way that it was too advanced for some of them. I could not change that part, so it made it very difficult for me to make it relevant for them. Second, my groups were way too big for the language class (some were up to 36 students). Third, I taught several very different courses (sometimes up to six) at the same time that made it very difficult to prepare for the lessons the way I wanted. So, having said all that, my ideal situation will be no more than 15 students in class, level-appropriate program, enough time for lesson planning and grading (or providing detailed feedback), time for individual sessions with students. I would like to teach in a highly technologically equipped classroom with other resources available like textbooks and materials that I would choose to use.